Effects of flour, eggs and sugar on tallow cake appearance, aroma, taste and texture

JP Slovack 4/3/2012 NTR-211L

Introduction The flour mixtures that make up cakes are extremely similar to those that make up breads with some key differences. The biggest difference is that the mixtures that make up cakes often have a higher percentage of sugar, fat, milk and added flavorings than most bread do (Brown 2010, p. 482). A big reason for this is due to the consistency and texture desired in cakes when compared to breads. The type of flour in cakes is usually cake flour, a lower protein flour that helps the cake achieve a softer consistency. The milk and fat help keep the cake very moist and tender, where-as most bread is made to be chewy, yet firm. The main goal during cake making is to balance the structural attributes of the cake (contributed by protein in the flour and eggs) with the tenderizing effects of sugar and fat. Too much protein and the cake will be too firm, too much fat and sugar and the cake may fall apart (Brown 2010, p.478). The goal of this experiment was to evaluate the roles played by various ingredients in a traditional yellow cake recipe. These key ingredients include cake flour, whole eggs and sugar. Four cakes were made, with one cake acting as a control and subsequent cakes substituting an ingredient. In one variation all-purpose flour was substituted for the cake flour. In another variation egg whites and vegetable oil were substituted for whole eggs and in a final variation, splenda was substituted for sugar. Each prepared cake was evaluated based upon its appearance, aroma, taste, cooking time and height. Materials and Methods A basic yellow cake recipe was followed as a basis to prepare four different yellow cakes. In each variation, a stove was preheated to 350 F and a 9x13 cake pan was

greased and floured on both the bottom and sides. Meanwhile, 2 c. of cake flour, 2 t. baking powder and t. salt were combined in a small bowl and mixed with a whisk. In a separate bowl, c. of room temperature butter and 1 c. sugar were creamed. Once the butter and sugar were light and fluffy, 3 large eggs were added, one at a time to the mixture and finally 2 t. of vanilla. The final step involved alternately adding the previously mixed dry ingredients with 3/4 c. milk and mixing the batter until a smooth consistency. Four total cakes were made. The first cake acted as a control and made no variations to the recipe. The second variation substituted 2 c. All-Purpose (AP) flour for the cake flour, while variation three substituted 3 egg whites and 2 T. vegetable oil for the three eggs. The final variation substituted 1 c. of splenda for the sugar. Each cake was cooked until a toothpick inserted into the middle came out dry. Each cake was then evaluated for appearance, taste, aroma, texture as well as height and cooking time. Results Four yellow cakes were prepared according to a standard recipe, with three of the cakes having various ingredient substitutions including flour, eggs and sugar. Once prepared, all four cakes were evaluated based upon their appearance, aroma, taste, texture, height and cooking time. All of the cakes displayed some level of browning except for the alternate sugar cake, which displayed a cracked, yellow top (table A-1). The alternate flour cake had the most browning with the control cake and alternate egg cakes displaying uneven browning. All of the cakes had a slight egg-like aroma, with the alternate flour cake having the sweetest aroma of all four cakes. Sweetness was a characteristic taste of all the cakes except for the alternate sugar cake. The alternate sugar cake was the least sweet of all the cakes. The alternate flour cake and the alternate sugar

cakes also had a slight flour-like taste as well. The alternate sugar cake was also the only cake to have a very firm texture. The other three cakes yielded a fluffy and soft texture. The alternate sugar cake, in contrast, was relatively flat and firm. The alternate sugar cake had the lowest height of all four cakes, yielding a height of 1.6 cm, while the alternate flour cake was the tallest cake at 3.4 cm. Finally, the alternate sugar cake also took the longest to cook (30 mins) in comparison to the control cake, which took the least amount of time (23 mins). Discussion Four cakes were made, using a basic recipe for yellow cake. In three subsequent variations, a main ingredient was substituted to examine the effect that ingredient had on the final product. The main ingredients tested during the course of the experiment included the type of flour used, eggs and sugar. The type of flour used in cake batter is important to strike a balance between a cake that will have a strong enough structure to stand on its own (due to starch gelatinization and gluten formation), but at the same time to not be so firm that the crumb is undesirable (Beathard and Walter 2011, p. 205). Cake flour is often used in cake preparation to provide a tender product. Cake flours contain lower amounts of protein when compared to harder flours and they are also often times chlorinated to improve baking quality (Brown 2010, p. 482). In the cake made with all-purpose flour as opposed to cake flour, the final product was greater in height (due to increased structural integrity) but was also firmer and had a crumbly, less tender texture than the control cake made with cake flour.

Much like with flour, eggs are included for structural support. The proteins in the eggs help increase the leavening the batter undergoes as it cooks. Eggs also contribute to color and flavor (Brown 2010, p. 483). In the cake made with egg whites and oil, the biggest difference included increased volume (when compared to the control cake) as well as a softer and moister interior. Since the protein-rich egg whites were still used (only the yolks discarded), the structural role played by eggs was kept intact. Much as whipped eggs white contribute to the volume of sponge cakes, the incorporation of egg whites into the yellow cake helped add some volume over the control cake (Brown 2010, p. 256). While the moistness of the interior was confusing as first, the reason for it less the incorporation of the egg whites as it was the addition of the vegetable oil. Oil coats flour protein and compete with them for water. Due to this, gluten formation decreases and leaves more moisture available in the batter. Too much vegetable oil can be bad though as the decreased gluten formation could compromise the structure of the cake, In this case though, the balance made for a structural sound cake, as well as a tender and moist one (Brown 2010, p. 482). The biggest downside to omitting the egg yolks was the flavor was lighter in the alternate egg cake as the egg yolk is a big contributor of flavor when used. In contrast to the flour and eggs in cakes, sugar performs multiple roles including sweetening, volume increase and browning. All of these functions could be seen when the splenda was used instead of sugar. The substitution was most noticeable in the appearance of the cake. The final product lacked the volume and browning found in the sugar-sweetened cakes. This is no surprised considering the function of sugar in cake. The sugar, when creamed with fat, forms tiny air bubbles that act as an additional leaving

agent, giving the final product a boost in volume. Also, sugar will caramelize, giving the final cake a golden brown color (Brown 2010, p. 482). Neither of these properties were found in the alternative-sugar cake. A surprising find was the lack of sweetness in the splenda-sweetened cake. Even though splenda is a popular sugar alternative due to its ability to withstand high temperatures used in baking, the cake made with splenda lacked the sweetness of the other cakes (Brown 2010, p.444). Tables Table A-1: Sensory Evaluation of Various Cake Variations Cake Type Appearance Aroma Taste Texture Light Yellow Speckled Brown Golden Brown Top Uneven Browning Golden Brown, but uneven browning Very Light Yellow Cracks on surface Slight Egg Smell Slightly Sweet Soft

Cake Height 2.8 cm

Cook Time 23 mins

Basic Yellow Cake (Control)

Alternate Flour

Sweet, Flowery

Slightly Sweet Floury

Alternate Eggs

Slight Egg Smell

Sweet

Crumbly More firm than control cake Fluffy Soft

3.4 cm

28 mins

3.0 cm

25 mins

Alternate Sugar

Slight Egg Smell

Floury Dry Not very sweet References

Flat Firm Texture

1. 6 cm

30 mins

Beathard, K., & Walter, J. (2011). Understanding food, principles and preparation lab manual. Belmont, CA: Wadworth Publishing. Brown, A. C. (2010). Understanding food, principles and preparation. (4th ed., pp. 256: 444: 478: 482-483). New York: Wadsworth Publishing.